Great Takes
British Open 2023: This old Norm Macdonald tweet about Brian Harman(?) looks pretty darn prescient right now
It's been nearly two years since the world lost one of its funniest people and one of its biggest golf fans in Norm Macdonald. The comedian's final four tweets were about the 2021 Open Championship, and he once claimed that "Nobody knows more golf than me. Nobody." Judging by a particular tweet from 2018, he many have been right.
It seems that in addition to loving to watch professional golf, Norm loved . . . Brian Harman? Yep, Brian Harman.
During a Twitter debate with Robert Damron about Tiger Woods ahead of the final round of the 2018 Valspar Championship (In case you didn't think this story could get any more random), somehow the former SNL star shifted the conversation to Harman, and how announcers are always (unfairly) mentioning the 5-foot-7 golfer's (lack of) height during broadcasts. Harman thanked Macdonald for sticking up for him and then Norm responded with this tweet that's looking pretty darn prescient right now.
How about that?! OK, so we're not sure about the "you can hit it a mile" line. Perhaps that was the comedian being facetious about the diminutive lefty. But as Harman heads into Sunday's final round at Royal Liverpool with a five-shot lead, the part about him winning majors seems spot on. As does the part about him winning with his "blade" (although it's a pretty big "blade" at that) considering he leads the field with an absurd strokes gained putting of +3.08 through three rounds at Hoylake.
So while many may find themselves rooting against Harman on Sunday—or, at least, hoping he makes things interesting—we know Macdonald would have been pulling hard for the two-time PGA Tour winner to claim a maiden major. Wherever Norm is now, let's hope they have NBC.
UPDATE: Harman cruised to a six-shot win on Sunday to capture the claret jug. You nailed it, Norm. You nailed it.